IN BRIEF : White Sox Owners to Aid Stadium

CHICAGO — Owners of the Chicago White Sox have agreed to ante up as much as $18 million toward construction of the team’s new stadium, enabling the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority to award the $119.3-million contract.

The contribution--which White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf characterized Thursday as “rent prepayment”--means that construction will begin on the open-air, 45,000-seat stadium on May 7, three days before a deadline that, if missed, would have left the team free to leave Chicago.

The new stadium--slated to open in 1991--will be built on the South Side near Comiskey Park, the oldest ballpark in the major leagues, which will be torn down.